I’m part of the kick-off event for Herndon’s All County Reads this week. Their selected book is Rudolfo Anaya’s, Bless Me Ultima. So, I’ll be talking about Latino lit in general and how my work deals with some of the themes in that classic novel. Disco meets Anaya. (Don’t underestimate me.) Anyway, I hope you can join Kwame Alexander and me on Wednesday night at the Fortnightly Library in Herndon. (Flyer below.)
After, I’ll be heading into the middle of the woods, aka Hinsdale Pennsylvania/Highlights Foundation, to work on the faculty of the Eastern PA SCBWI conference. (Register.) I’m almost done with preparations. Speeches, workshops – all drafted and packed up. My lingering homework is the character costume for Friday night, clearly the most important thing.
The finalists:
- The Paper Bag Princess: Love the retro, strong girl idea, but the downside…it’s still so cold in PA. I’ll freeze wearing a paper bag (or, ok, a few paper bags.) Still, I love this book. Here’s the audio of the story so you can see why. My kids and I read this so many times…and even then the story was already a classic.
2. Nora Lopez (from my very own Burn Baby Burn): OK, it should be the frontrunner, but me in lycra and platforms? Once was probably enough.
From Party City’s costume stash!
3. Harriet the Spy: My favorite so far. We’re about the same age, this book and I.… We have a similar fashion sense. A certain odd need to observe others…
4. Amelia Bedelia: Don’t own a frilly apron, but I think I have the rest of the stuff. Could be fun… 
Any suggestions out there?
Mango! OK, not exactly easy to whip up, but you’d be warm!